Luminescent attachment for telephone-handset handles



E. F. NELSON Jan. 23, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W 37- 77.21? 15' Neisem 3 g $3 by a 'ZZbrr/ieys E. F. NELSON 2,539,266

LUMINESCENT ATTACHMENT FOR TELEPHONE-HANDSET HANDLES Jan. 23, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 1948 EiZz'a F 111875077 Patented Jan. 23, 1951 LUMINESCENT ATTACHMENT FOR TELE- PHONE-HANDSET HANDLES Ellis F. Nelson, Everett, Mass, assignor to E. F.

Nelson Company, 1110., Boston, Mass, at corporation of Massachusetts Application September 22, 1943, Serial No. 50,605

4. Claims.

The present invention relates to telephone equipment, and more particularly to accessories for telephone-handset handles.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved telephone-handset? handle;

Another object is to provide a new and improved receiver cap or mouthpiece cap for a telephone handset' handle. p

Another object is to provide a new and improved cover for the receiver cap or the mouthpiece cap" of a telephone-handset handle.

A. further object is to provide a new and improved cover for the receiver cap or the mouthpiece; cap of a telephone-handset handle which may be easily applied to and removed from the receiver cap or the mouth-piece cap.

Another object of the presentinvention is to provide new and improved means for illuminating the handset handle in order. to render it visible in. the dark.

A further object is to provide new and improved. means for illuminating the receiver cap or the mouthpiece cap of a telephone-handset handle.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved cover for the receiver cap or the mouthpiece cap of a telephone-handset handle that shall be luminescent to: to permit the receiver cap or the mouthpiece;

cap to be visible in the dark.

Other and further objects will be explained hereinafter and will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be described more fully in connection with, the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 iso. perspective of a present-day conventional telephone-handset handle the receiver cap andthe mouthpiece cap of which are provided with covers embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a similar perspective illustrating covers embodying the present invention,

mounted upon the receiver cap and the mouthpiece cap of another present-day conventional telepl-ione-handset handle; Fig. 3 is a plan, upon upon a larger scale than in Figs. 1 and 2, of a f'receiver-cap cover or a mouthpiece-capcover constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. i is a side elevation of the same, looking toward the left, partly in transverse sec- 7 tion, shown applied to the receiver cap of a telephone-handset handle, illustrated by dotted lines; Fig. 5 is a section. upon a still larger scale,

, taken upon the line 55 of Fig. 4,. looking in the direction of the. arrows Fig. 6.15 a section similar to Fig. 5 of a modification; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary transverse section similar to Fig. l, upon a larger scale still, of a modified cover constructed in accordance with the present invention but provided with a larger number of recesses in. which luminescent material may be disposed; Fig. 8 is a similarly enlarged fragmentary transverse section of a further modified: cover constituted, instead. of metal, of a plastic material; combined with a luminescent material in the plastic, and provided; with a recess in which a metal. or other decorative inlay may be inserted; Figs. 9, 10 and- 11 are similarly enlarged fragmeniary transverse sections of still further modified covers provided with recesses in which luminescent material may be disposed; Fig; 12 is a section similar to Figs. 7 to 1-1 illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 13 is a similar section of a modified cover provided with strips of plastic combined with luminescent materials intheplastic; Fig. 14 is a similar section illustrating an all-metal cover; Fig. 15-15 a fragmentary perspective, partly in transverse section, upon a similarly enlarged 13 scale, of a strip. of. plastic combined with luminescent materials in the plastic for application to some of. the covers of the. present. invention; Fig. 16 is a fragmentary transverse section, upon a somewhat smaller scale than in'Figs. 7 to 15, of a modified cover provided with a strip of luminescent material coveredwith a transparent plastic or other shell; Fig. 17 is. a fragmentary transverse section similar to Figs. 7 to 14 of a modified. cover having end portions of plastic material combined with a luminescent material; I8 is a plan. similar to Fig, 3, illustrating a cover constructed in accordance with the present" invention constituted wholly of a plastic material; Fig..19 is an elevation of the same similar to Fig. i, partly in section taken upon the lines 5-9-4? cf. Fig. 18, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 20 is a fragmentary transverse section similar to Figs. 7 to 14 and 1'7, upon the sameecale, illustrating. a modified cover provided with a recess in which luminescent material may be disposed and provided with a covering layer, as transparent plastic, for sealing the luminescent material; Fig. 21 is a similar fragmentary transverse section of still another modified cover; and Fig. 22 is a similar fragmentary transverse section of still a further modification.

In addition to the telephone cradles, not shown present-day telephones comprise handset-telephone handles or it upon one end of each of wh ch is threadedly mounted a receiver cap 3 or [3 and upon the other end of each of which is threadedly mounted a mouthpiece cap 5 or IE. The receiver caps 3 and I3 and the mouthpiece caps 5 and !5 are each exteriorly provided circumferentially with a rounded surface 2 of more or less cylindrical or slightly tapering or conical construction, and their outer end walls are convex, as shown at 4. Though shown by full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, they are illustrated by dashed lines in Figs. 7 to 14, 1'7, 21 and 22, in order not to distract from the essential features of novelty of the present invention. As appears clearly from these dashed-line showings of Figs. 7 to 14, 17, 21 and 22, after the receiver cap 3 or [3 or the mouthpiece cap 5 or E5 has been threaded upon the corresponding end of the handset handle I or [0, the separation between the inner or left-hand circularly shaped end of each cap and the said end of the handset handle i or H! is marked by a peripherally disposed groove 43. Another peripherally disposed groove 3! is integrally formed in each receiver cap 3 and I3 and each mouthpiece cap 5 and i5 near the outer or righthand circularly shaped end of the cap.

In accordance with a feature of the present invention, a collar-shaped cover member is provided for detachably encircling each receiver cap 3 or l3, and a similar collar-shaped cover member is provided for detachably encircling each mouthpiece cap 5 or IE. The collar-shaped member l is shown encircling the receiver cap 3, the collar-shaped cover member H the receiver cap I3, th collar-shaped cover member 9 the mouthpiece cap 5 and the collar-shaped cover member E9 the mouthpiece cap H5.

The collar-shaped cover member 1 is shown provided at its inner circularly shaped end 35 with an abruptly bent terminal peripheral flange 33 projecting inwardly toward the center of the collar-shaped cover member 1. The function of the flange 33 is to hook into the peripherally disposed groove 43. By reason of this engagement of the flange 33 with one or more walls of the groove 43, the cover member 1 becomes locked to the receiver cap 3, so as to prevent its becoming accidentally detached during use of the telephone-handset handle I. Though shown projecting from the circularly shaped end throughout the complete 369 degrees of the circle, it is not essential, of course, that the flange 33 be of so large extent; it will perform its locking function even. if very much smaller.

Th collar-shaped cover member i may similarly be provided at its outer circularly shaped end 25 with another abruptly bent terminal peripheral flange 23, projecting inwardly, like the terminal peripheral flange 33, toward the center of the collar-shaped cover member i. As shown, for example, in Figs. 7, 9, 12, 14 and 22, this additional terminal peripheral flange 23 may hook into the peripherally disposed groove 31, thereby serving additionally to hold the cover 1 upon the cap 3, 5, 53 or !5. The outer circularly shaped end 25 of the collar-shaped cover i may, however, be unprovided with the additional terminal peripheral flange 23. It may be wholly unflanged, so as to extend beyond the peripheral groove 3! of the receiver cap 3, as shown in Figs. 4. 8, 10, 11 and 13. If desired, indeed, the end 25 of the collar-shaped member i may extend further outward beyond the groove 3! than as shown in Figs. 4, 8, 10, 11 and 13, so as to provide a gradually tapering terminal peripheral flange 22, as shown in Fig. 21. The gradually tapering terminal peripheral flange 22 of Fig. 21 may engage snugly the outer convex end walls of the receiver cap 3 or I3 or the mouthpiece cap to help hold the cover member 7 upon the receiver or mouthpiece cap without the use of the abruptly bent terminal flange 23 for hooking into the recess 31.

The collar-shaped receiver-cap covers I and H and the collar-shaped mouthpiece-cap covers 9 and 59 may be continuous, as illustrated in Figs. 18 and 19, or they may be split, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. In order to mount the continuous covers upon the receiver caps 3 and H or the mouthpiece caps 5 and i5, it is necessary either that these cap-s be first unscrewed from their telephone-handset handles I and EU, or that the continuous covers be sufficiently stretchable or expansible to permit their mounting upon the receiver caps 3 and 13 or the mouthpiece caps 5 and i5 without such previous unscrewing. If the collar-shaped covers i, 9, ll and [9 are split, however, it is merely necessary that they be constituted of some material that is suificiently resilient to expand without stretching. With the employment of such a material, the ends of the split collar-shaped cover may be resiliently sepa rated or sprung apart at the split to open the collar. This permits of conveniently and easily either removing the detachable split collar-shaped cover i or I? from the receiver cap 3 or l3, respectively, or the detachable split collar-shaped cover 9 or [9 from the mouthpiece cap 5 or I5, respectively. Upon the reapplication of the split collarshaped cover to its cap, it will snap back into its normal shape, to engage the exterior rounded surface 2 of the cap 3, 5, l3 or I5, with the flange 33 in the groove 43 and, if desired, the flange 23 in the groove 3!, to lock the cover snugly and tightly in position on the receiver cap 3 or 13 or the mouthpiece cap 5 or IE.

The cover of the present invention may be manufactured from any suitable flexible or resilient metal or plastic. As an example of a metal, spherodized carbon steel 0.018 inch thick has been found admirably suited to the purpose. As examples of suitable plastics, reference may be made to the vinyl resins, the styrene compounds, the phenolic compounds, the urea-base compounds, the cellulose acetates and other cellulose products, and the methyl-methacrylate resins. These plastics may be suitably plasticized to render them of the proper flexibility or resiliency.

As shown at 31, the split collars I, 9, l1 and [9 may be split transversely, as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, or at an incline, such as 45 degrees, as illustrated in Fig. 6. In either event, the ends of each split collar 1, 9, I! or l9 will snap back into abutting contact with each other after the collar has been mounted over the cap 3, 5, [3 or 5 upon which it is mounted. The inclined arrangement illustrated in Fig. 6, however, provides for overlapping of the ends of the split collar, as well. If the material of which the collars is constituted is sufiiciently resilient, the collars will be held snugly and tightly in place through the inherent resiliency alone of the material of which the collars is constituted, without the necessity for providing any additional means to hold the collars in place upon their caps. Additional locking mechanisms, such as tongue-and-groove connections, may, however, be provided, if desired.

As illustrated in Figs. 4, '7 to 11 and 13, the collar-shaped covers I, 9, l1 and I9 may be shaped to conform closely to the rounded exterior surfaces 2 of the receiver caps 3 and [3 or the mouthpiece caps 5 and I5. The shapes of the covers I, 9, t1: and I9 may be such, however, that they will be intermediately separated from the surfaces 2 of the caps, as illustrated in Figs. 12, M, 1.7, 21 and 22, being held in. place. merely by the terminal peripheral flanges 33. and 23 in the respective peripherally disposed grooves 43 and 31 According to a further feature of the invention, the receiver caps 3. and I3 and the mouth piece caps 5. and I5 and, therefore, the handset handles I and II], as well, are rendered visible in the dark by illuminating the collars l, 9, l1 and [9. This illumination is preferably effected through the use of some self-luminescent material, as with the aid of phosphorescence, fluorescence or radium emanation.

Many radioactive salts are. available for this purpose. Among the luminescent phosphors that may be employed, for example, are Zinc. sulphides, zinc. and cadmium sulphides, and cadmium and strontium sulphides, with or without traces of radioactive substances, such as radium, or other auto-activated phosphors containing radioactive material that will glow in the dark. As is. well,

known, phosphorescent materials, for example, will glow as the result of the excitation to which they may be subjected by the natural light of day, or the artificial light of incandescent, fluorescent or other lamps prior to their extinguishment, or by invisible. rays, as of ultraviolet. Cadmium and strontium sulfides, for example, may glow for a long time in the dark in response to but a few minutes of excitation by daylight or artificial light. If the material is chemicallytreated with a radium compound, of course, it will slow at all times, day and night, but this glow will naturally become enhanced in the dark. If the phosphor is. combined with a radioactive substance, the phosphor will be illuminated in the dark as a result of the excitation produced by the radioactive substance. The luminescent material may be applied, bodily, in the form of paints or pigments, by decalcomania processes, and in other ways.

According to the, embodiment of the, invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, two circular strips ll of such luminescent material are shown peripherally disposed symmetrically in the form of two parallel rings throughout the circumference of the exterior rounded surface of each 001- lar-shaped cover I mounted upon the receiver cap 3 and the collar-shaped cover 9 mounted upon the mouthpiece cap 5. Two similar strips 2.! of such luminescent material are shown peripherally disposed symmetrically in the form of two parallel rings throughout the circumference of the exterior rounded surface of each collar-shaped cover I! mounted upon the receiver cap 13 and the collar-shaped cover l9 mounted upon the mouthpiece cap l5.

When the telephone-handset handle i or iii occupies its resting positionon the telephone cradle, not shown, therefore, not only do the covers I, 9, El and] it provide attractive ornaments for the telephone-handset handles l and H), but also the,- Self-duminscent strips H or- 2l, particularly in the dark, present two pairs of glowing rings symmetrically disposed with respect to the handle I' or H! that may be easily observed and reached in the dark. To enhance the ornamental effect, furthermore, decorative designs may be provided in the portions of the area of the cylindrical or slightly tapering exterior surface between the parallel luminescent circular strips ill or 2! of each collar-shaped cover I, 9, ll or it. This area,

' indeed, is sufiiciently large to provide not only for decorative ornamentation, but also, if desired, for other purposes such as for advertising. The

strips H or 2.! may also themselves be consti-' .tuted of a decorative material, such as a suitably in the art, in order both to provide for luminescence in the dark and to present either thepleasing colors or the transparency of the plastic when viewed in the light, In order that it may not crack during the opening and closing of the split collars l, or during the stretching or other expansion of the continuous collars i, this plastic is preferably flexible or resilient. A transparent polystyrene resin in combination with a luminescent pigment comprising cadmium and strontium sulfides, for example, provides a useful combination. of this: character.

The receiver-cap covers 7 and 9 and the mouthpiece-cap covers ll and [9 may all be substantially alike. It will not, therefore, be necessary to describe more than one of these covers. Several of the numerous different forms that the covers I, 9, El and I9 may assume are accordingly illustrated in Figs. 3 to 22 in connection with the receiver-capcover 7.

According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4, the luminescent strips H are shown set into two parallel symmetrically disposed peripheral recesses 29 provided in the round surface of the cover 7, throughout the circumference thereof. It is not, of course, essential that the luminescent material be inserted in the recesses 25. It may, for example, be applied to an unrecessed exterior rounded surface of the cover I bodily, or in the form of a coating of phosphorescent or other self-luminescent pigment or paint; it may be applied by pasting to the unrecessed exterior rounded surface a paper layer carry-ing the phosphorescent material; and it may be applied also in many other ways. It is preferred to insert the luminescent material in the recesses 29, however, because this protects it against being rubbed away.

Accord-ing to the preferred embodiment of the invention that is illustrated in Fig. 12, the cylindrical or tapering wall of the collar-shaped member l is bent along two parallel circumferential lines to provide two parallel ring-like peripherally disposed ribs 39 and 4!. The recesses in which the luminescent strips l i may be inserted are provided at the outer surfaces of these ribs 39 and ll within the ribbing. With the aid of the ribbing structure, the recesses may be rendered deepor than as illustrated in Fig. 4. In addition to thus providing deeper recesses for holding the luminescent material, moreover, the ribs to and ti also increase the structural rigidity for the member 7.

The number of peripherally disposed ribs 39 and ll, the number of circumferential recesses formed thereby, and the number of strips I 5 disposed in the recess may be increased, as shown at M in Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 8, on the other hand, the number of strips may be decreased to The strips ii need not, moreover, be limited in thickness to that provided for by the increased depth aiforded by the increased depth of the recesses furnished by the ribbed structure. As shown in Fig. 9, the relatively thin strips i! of Fig. 7 or Fig. 1?. may be replaced by strips ii of la ge cross-dimen ion. These m y be pressfitted into the recesses provided by the ribbed structure 39. Undercutwalls may be provided in these recesses to aid the action of holding the strips; or the strips H may be held in place by adhesives or other mechanical means. Because of their larger cross-dimension, these press-fitted strips l i may extend substantially beyond the eX- terior surface of the collar-shaped member I, thus enabling them to gather more light during the periods of expo-sure to the light, and thereb to luminesce for a longer period in the dark.

According to the modification illustrated in Fig. 13, the collar-shaped member I is crimped at 51, and the crimped regions are providedwith strip coverings H of the combined plastic and luminescent material. A similar structure, but without the crimped regions 55, is illustrated in Fig. 22, according to which the strip covering l i is applied along the circumferentially disposed annular crown of a cover member 1 that is intermediately bulged out to form the crown.

It is not essential, of course, that the luminescent material be applied in the form of one or more strips I i. The luminescent material may be applied also in other ways. It may even be scattered throughout the area of the cover '2. The flexible or the resilient collar-shaped member 1 may, indeed, be wholly constituted of a single piece of the preferably resili nt plastic material before described, physically or chemically com bined with the luminescent material. As illustrated in Fig. 8, however, this single piece of plastic may be ornamented by providing it with one or more recesses i i of the same nature as either of the recesses 29, into which a decorative metal or other inlay strip 63 may be press-fitted or otherwise inserted.

The arrangement of the plastic and the metal illustrated in Fig. 8 may, however, be interchanged. As illustrated in Fig. 10, the resilient cover I may be of metal, and it may be provided with one or more recesses t! in which strips H of the combined plastic and luminescent material may be inserted.

The recesses B1 may, however, be omitted. A resilient all-metal collarshaped cover member 1, without any additional luminescent material is illustrated in Fig. 14. It is shown integrally provided at its respective ends and with the respective flanges 23 and 33 for locking in the respective recesses 3i and 53. In all but extremely dark rooms, this all-metal collar, if highly polished, will reflect sufficient light to render it at least faintly visible, even in the absence of luminescent material.

According to the embodiment of the invention that is illustrated in Fig. 17, the resilient metal cover I may be provided with end portions 6] of combined plastic and luminescent material. These end portions 6i may be shaped to provide projections for hooking into the peripheral grooves 3i and 33, in order to lock the member I upon the receiver or mouth-piece cap.

Instead of the all-metal cover i of Fig. 14, on

r the other hand, the cover I may be constituted of solid plastic, as illustrated in Figs. 18 and -19. If the plastic is light-colored, it may be at least faintly seen in all but very dark rooms, as in the case of the all metal cover I of Fig. 14, even in the absence of luminescent material.

According to the modification of the invention that is illustrated in Fig. 11, a metal collar-shaped member 'i is provided with apertures G9 into which buttons of combined plastic-and-luminescent material Il may be press-fitted. Instead of the buttons, plugs 55 projecting integrally from a strip of combined plastic-and-luminescent material 53, as illustrated in Fig. 15, may be inserted in the apertures 39 in order to secure the strip 53 to the member 1.

Where the luminescent material for-application to the collar-shaped member is provided with a trace of radioactive substance, such as radium, there would be danger that the radioactive substance might come into contact with the user. In order to render the radioactive substance innocuous, therefore, a transparent plastic or other shell 59, as shown in Fig. 16, may be employed to cover the luminescent material. A similar transparent covering layer is shown in Fig. 20 sealing a luminescent layer H in the recess 4? of the member 1.

Further modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, and all such are considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telephone provided with a telephonehandset-handle upon an end of which an eX- teriorly round-surfaced receiver cap or mouthpiece cap is mounted with a peripherally disposed groove disposed between the cap and the said end of the handle, a cover for the cap comprising a split collar-shaped resilient member for encircling the cap along its exterior round surface provided withluminescent material having a terminal flange projecting inwardly from an end of the collar-shaped resilient member adapted to be received in the groove to hold the cover on the cap, the ends of the split collarshaped resilient member being adapted to be separated at the split to open the collar-shaped resilient member in order to permit of applying the cover to the cap and to remove the cover from the cap.

2. In a telephone provided with a telephonehandset handle upon an end of which an exteriorly round-surfaced receiver cap or mouthpiece cap is mounted with a first peripherally disposed groove disposed between the cap and the said end of the handle and a second peripherally disposed groove, a cover for the cap comprising a collar-shaped resilient member for encircling its exterior round surface provided with a luminescent material having a first terminal flange projecting inwardly from one end of the resilient member adapted to be received in the first groove and a second terminal flange projecting inwardly from the other end or the collar-shaped resilient member adapted to be received in the second groove to hold the cover on the cap.

3. In a, telephone provided with a telephonehandset handle upon an end of which an exteriorly round-surfaced receiver cap or mouthpiece cap is mounted with a first peripherally disposed groove disposed between the cap and the said end of the handle and a second peripherally disposed groove, a cover for the cap comprising a collar-shaped member for encircling its exterior round surface having a first terminal flange projecting inwardly from one end of the collar-shaped resilient member adapted to be received in the first groove and a second terminal flange projecting inwardly from the other end of the collar-shaped resilient member adapted to be received in the second groove to hold the cover on the cap, the collar-shaped resilient member being provided with peripherally disluminescent material.

4. In a telephone provided with a telephonehandset handle upon an end of which an exteriorly round-surfaced receiver cap or mouth piece cap is mounted with a first peripherally disposed groove disposed between the cap and -the said end of the handle and a second perlpherally disposed groove, a cover for the cap comprising a split collar-shaped resilient member for encircling its exterior round surface having a first terminal flange projecting inwardly from one end of the collar-shaped resilient member adapted to be received in the first groove and a second terminal flange projecting inwardly from the other end of the collar-shaped resilient member adapted to be received in the second groove to hold the cover on the cap, the ends of the split collar-shaped resilient member being adapted to be separated at the split to open the split collar-shaped resilient member in order to permit of applying the cover to the cap and to remove the cover from the cap, and the collarshaped resilient member being provided with peripherally disposed ribbings providing recesses containing combined plastic-and-phosphorescent material.

ELLIS F. NELSON.

10 REFERENCES \CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 336,062 Palmer Feb. 9, 1886 432,940 Headly July 22, 1890 1,246,584 Galbraith Nov. 13, 1917 1,346,360 White July 13, 1920 1,390,896 Ferguson Sept. 13, 1921 1,391,087 Zink, Jr. Sept. 20, 1921 1,412,955 Nelson Apr. 18, 1922 1,477,609 Thompson Dec. 18, 1923 1,866,157 Ford July 5, 1932 1,962,639 Dick June 12, 1934 2,123,003 Eyring July 5, 1938 2,188,264 Fordyce Jan. 23, 1940 2,308,462 Williams 1 Jan. 12, 1943 2,374,029 Lerry Apr. 17, 1945 OTHER REFERENCES The New Jersey Zinc 00.: The ABC of Luminescence (1944), especially page 20. 

